Mail-box hanger



Aug. 20; 1929. i T. J. ARLEDGE MAIL Box HANGER Filed July 14, 1927 INVENToR. cf. lf'iegg Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNlTED STATES THOMAS J. ARLEDGE, OF CISCO', TEXAS.

MAIL-BOX HANGER.

Application filed July 14,

This invention relates to rural mail-box supports, and has for one of its objects to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive device of this character which shall be adapted to be erected and normally support a inailboX at such distance from a highway as to prevent injury thereto and to the mail-box by the traflic passing along the highway, and which shall be adapted to be readily operated by the letter carrier from his vehicle to deliver the mail-box at the side of the vehicle so as to permit the mail to be placed therein from the vehicle.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation of the mail-boi; support erected alongside a highway,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the manner in which the arm of the support is secured to the post,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

The mail-box support comprises a post or standard 1 which in practice is adapted to be driven into the ground within a few feet of a highway 2, as shown in Figure 1. The post 1 which is preferably made of metal, has a pointed lower end 3 and is provided in its upper end with a vertically arranged bearing recess or socket 4. A head 5 which rests upon the upper end of the post 1 and has a forked upper end 6, is provided with a stem 7 which is rotatably mounted in the recess or socket 4. An arm 8 is pivoted centrally between its ends in the forked end 6 of the head 5 by a bolt 9. The arm 8 is also preferably made of metal and of cylindrical formation, and the lateral sides of its central portion are flat, as shown at 10. A strut 11 extends upwardly from the central portion of the arm 8, and it is provided at its lower end with a loop 12 which surrounds said portion of the arm. The pivot bolt 9- passes through the strut loop 12, and the latter con- 1927. Serial No. 205,648.

tacts with the forked end of the head 5. A stay 13 which together with the strut 11 is made of metal, passes through the upper end of the strut and is secured at its ends to the ends of the arm 8. A mail-box 14 which may be of the type now in use or of any other suitable construction, is slidably suspended from the arm 8 by a hanger 15. A weight 16 is secured to one end of the arm 8, and a pull chain 17 is secured to the other end of the arm.

The arm 8 occupies a position at right angles to the highway 2, and the mail-box is slidably suspended from the outer or that section of the arm 8 that is located between the post 1 and the highway. The weight 16 normally maintains the arm 8 in a downwardly and inwardly inclined position with the mail-box 14 resting against the post l, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. As the post 1 is located any considerable distance from the highway 2, as the arm 8 is normally maintained in a downwardly and inwardly inclined position, and as the mail-box 14 normally rests against the post 1, there is no danger of any part of the device being damaged by the trailic on the highway. When the letter carrier reaches the device, he exerts a downward pull on the chain 17, with the result that the arm 8 is swung into a downwardly and outwardly inclined position, and this may be done without his leaving his vehicle. The mail-box 14 now travels to the outer end of the arm 8, in which position it will be at the side of t-he vehicle so as to permit the mail to be readily placed therein. The outward movement of the mail-box 14 is limited by the hanger 15 contacting with the outer end of the stay 13. After the mail has been placed in the bo-X 14 and the chain 17 released, the weight 16 returns the arm 8- to its downwardly and inwardly inclined position, and the mail-box travels on the arm until it contacts with the post 1. As the bolt 9 passes through the strut loop 12,`and as this loop contacts with the forked end 6 of the head 5, a strong and durable connection is established between the head and arm 8. As the arm 8 is mounted for movement about a vertical as well as a horizontal axis, it may be turned so as to carry its outer end away from the highway and thus permit the mail to be removed from the boX 14 without the necessity of stepping onto the highway.

It should be understood that the drawing is merely illustrative and does not pretend to give exact proportions. Furthermore, the said drawing is illustrative of a preferred construction, it being my expectation that various changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed isz- A mail-box hanger7 comprising a standard, a head rotatably mounted on said standard, an arm pivoted intermediate of its ends on said head, a strut having a. looped portion receiving said arm and pivoted therewith, stays connecting the strut and the ends of the arm, a mail-box, a looped hanger secured to the mail-box and slidably mounted on one end of the` arm, the movement of the mail-box von the arm being limited by its engagement with the standard in one pivoted position of the arm, and by the stay secured to theouter end of the arm in the other position thereof, a pull member secured to the same end of the arm on Which the mail-box is mounted, and a counter Weight on the other end of the arm.

In testimony whereof I afllX my signature.

THOMAS J. ARLEDGE. 

